Artificial intelligence

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman is set to brief the UN Security Council next week, according to Reuters. It would be a rare appearance by a leading AI industry figure before the council, which has increasingly weighed the risks of artificial intelligence to international peace and security. Observers are watching to see what Altman will say about AI safety, regulation and the technology's geopolitical implications.

OpenAI's AI models accessed and probed the websites of the Department of Education and other federal agencies, according to Education Week. The report raises questions about how automated systems crawl government web properties, what data they collect, and whether agencies have consented to such access. It is likely to fuel ongoing debate about artificial intelligence companies' data-gathering practices and oversight of the technology sector.

Chinese state announcements say Beijing and Washington agreed to a $30 billion tariff reduction and to open a dialogue on artificial intelligence during Xi Jinping's visit. The news, reported by Reuters, suggests a tentative easing of tensions between the two economic rivals on trade and technology. Details are sparse so far, and readers should note the figures come from the Chinese side; US confirmation and the fine print of the deal are not yet clear.

Classified budget estimates indicate the National Security Agency is paying billions of dollars to test artificial intelligence models. The figures suggest US intelligence is moving aggressively to evaluate advanced AI systems, likely for national security and intelligence applications. The scale of the spending is drawing attention to how heavily agencies are investing in AI capabilities.

China and the United States have agreed to establish a dedicated channel for artificial intelligence safety, while committing to continue ongoing talks on trade and military matters. The deal marks a rare point of cooperation between the two rivals, suggesting both sides want to manage risks in emerging technologies even as economic and security tensions persist.

Donald Trump has announced plans to create an "AI Force," an initiative centered on artificial intelligence. Details about the structure, funding, and mandate of the proposed force have not yet been laid out, but the announcement is drawing widespread attention given the growing political and economic importance of AI policy in the United States.

Meta has introduced a new lineup of artificial intelligence products, according to Bloomberg. The company is positioning the offering as an attempt to succeed where competitors have struggled to gain traction with AI. The announcement is drawing attention as tech giants race to convert AI investments into widely adopted consumer and business products.

China and the United States have agreed to launch a dialogue on artificial intelligence and to cut tariffs on roughly $30 billion in goods, announced during Xi Jinping's visit. The deal marks a rare area of cooperation between the two powers amid ongoing trade and technology tensions, and analysts are watching whether it signals a broader easing of relations.

Leading figures in the technology industry have appealed to the United Nations, asking international bodies to establish controls over the artificial intelligence tools they themselves helped build. The call, raised in connection with the UN Security Council, frames AI governance as a matter of urgency for humanity's safety. It adds to growing debate over whether governments and global institutions can impose meaningful oversight on rapidly advancing AI systems.

The US military is changing how it uses artificial intelligence in lethal targeting after a strike hit a school in Minab, Iran. The Pentagon is revising its AI-assisted combat decision processes in response to the incident, which drew criticism over civilian harm and the role of automated systems in choosing targets.

China and the United States have agreed to establish a dedicated channel for communication on artificial intelligence safety, while also committing to continue discussions on trade and military matters. The agreement marks a step toward sustained dialogue between the two powers on emerging technology risks, even as broader economic and security tensions between Washington and Beijing persist.

Pope Leo opened his trip to France with a warning that an overreliance on technology, which he called a 'paradise of machines,' could undermine humanity. He urged people not to let machines diminish human dignity and relationships, adding his moral voice to the growing global debate over artificial intelligence and automation.

The European Union is advancing measures to restrict the energy and water consumption of data centres, a step aimed at limiting the environmental footprint of the fast-growing digital infrastructure sector. The proposal comes as data centre demand surges with the expansion of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, prompting debate over resource use versus digital growth.

Reporting from Taipei frames Taiwan as the potential deciding factor in the escalating technology rivalry between the United States and China. Taiwan's tech industry produces more than 90 percent of the world's most advanced semiconductors, the chips that power AI servers, giving the island outsized strategic importance as both superpowers compete for dominance in artificial intelligence.

China has introduced new travel rules affecting technology workers, and the measures are causing concern among major tech companies and skilled professionals. Reports indicate the restrictions could complicate international travel for employees in sectors like artificial intelligence, raising questions about how firms and talent will respond.

Law firms are using artificial intelligence to speed up legal research, document review and drafting, cutting the hours needed for many tasks. Corporate clients are now pushing back on bills, arguing that if AI makes legal work faster and cheaper to produce, the savings should be passed on to them rather than retained as higher firm margins.

The United States and China have agreed to establish a dedicated communication channel on artificial intelligence following a leaders' summit, according to the White House. The channel is intended to allow the two countries to discuss AI risks and safety directly, marking a rare area of cooperation between the rivals as competition over advanced technology intensifies.

Some members of Congress are expressing doubts that the institution is technically capable of writing meaningful rules for artificial intelligence, with one quip describing a body 'barely capable of email.' The comments reflect growing frustration over slow, expertise-thin lawmaking as AI tools spread rapidly through the economy and daily life, raising questions about whether existing legislative processes can keep pace with the technology.

Democratic hopefuls for the 2028 US presidential election are already being asked to define their positions on artificial intelligence, and the issue is shaping early campaign debate. Coverage lays out where candidates stand on regulating AI, its impact on jobs, and how the party plans to respond to rapid technological change ahead of the primaries.

AI researcher Andrew Ng has dismissed warnings that artificial intelligence could drive humanity to extinction, describing such fears as 'science fiction'. The comments reignite a familiar divide in the tech world between prominent figures who argue existential risk is overblown and those who treat it as a serious concern. Ng has long argued that focus on distant doomsday scenarios distracts from practical issues like bias, job displacement and regulation of real-world AI systems.

Donald Trump has rejected any proposal to combine American and Chinese efforts on artificial intelligence, ruling out joint US-China collaboration in the field. The statement signals a continued hard line on technology competition with Beijing, keeping the two countries on separate paths in AI development despite ongoing trade talks between Washington and China.

AT&S, the Austrian circuit-board maker, is drawing attention for its role in producing advanced substrates — the critical layer that connects AI chips to circuit boards. As demand for artificial intelligence hardware surges, chipmakers face a bottleneck in substrate supply, and AT&S is among the companies racing to expand capacity for this often-overlooked component.

Mathematician Terence Tao has announced the formation of an Advisory Group on Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence, publishing the news on his personal blog. The group is intended to bring together expertise on how AI is transforming mathematical research and how mathematicians can guide its development. The announcement is drawing attention in the mathematics and technology communities.

The Yuelu Conference 2026 opened in Changsha, Hunan Province, China, on September 23–24, bringing together artificial intelligence companies, robotics developers, researchers and investors. The event featured an opening ceremony and ten themed "AI+" forums aimed at linking research with industry and investment. Commenters highlighted the city's push to position itself as a hub for China's growing AI and robotics sectors.

Energy costs and surging electricity demand from artificial intelligence are reshaping climate negotiations underway in New York. Delegates are weighing how to meet climate goals while power-hungry AI data centres drive up consumption, making affordability and grid capacity central issues alongside emissions targets.